Jul. 02, 2010

Centenarian Genes

Every interview with a centenarian talks about environmental factors that may have contributed to their longevity -- the nightly shot of bandy, or regular consumption of fish. But now new research takes a close look at what genetic factors are associated with the exceptionally-long-lived. Writing in the journal Science, researchers describe a series of genetic signatures that are particularly common in people who live to 100 and beyond, compared to the average population. The study involved over 1000 centenarians. We'll talk with one of the authors of the study.